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Mesa State construction-management team takes second in BYU competition

By {screen_name}
Thursday, November 18, 2010

A team of construction-management students from Mesa State College took second place earlier this month at the 11th annual Construction Management Challenge at Brigham Young University.

Team members were Brady Blackmer, Jamielee Cucuiat, Oliver Gard, Brett Kmetz and John Savage.

Construction companies provided projects for the challenge based on situations they had encountered. Teams received assignments electronically the last week of October and submitted proposals for the projects to judges before giving an oral presentation Nov. 5 at BYU, said Charles Gains, Mesa State construction management professor.

Mesa State competed in the commercial category, one of three categories at the challenge, and placed second behind BYU. Brigham Young University-Idaho, Utah Valley University and Weber State University also participated in the challenge.

The next competition for Mesa State will be the Associated Schools of Construction Student Competition on Feb. 16–19 in Sparks, Nev.

Gains said competitions help his students prepare to apply classroom skills in the workplace.

“When students participate in these competitions, it’s definitely proof they have proficiency in these areas,” he said.

There are about 90 students enrolled in construction-management courses at Mesa State. The program began in 2007.